Children's Home run by My Choice Children’s Homes Limited in West Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 1 SC364812 Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The service can accommodate two children. It is owned by a private company and is one of nine homes. The organisation also provides education through its independent school, which is registered with the Department for Education. The manager was registered with Ofsted on 19 November 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 19 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/11/2018 Full Good 18/10/2017 Full Good 14/12/2016 Full Good 10/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular— provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34 (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the use of chronologies is consistent to allow for monitoring and oversight. 30/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which— include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all key working records are completed in a timely manner and that the registered manager is consistent in signing off records. 30/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, provide staff with further training around child sexual abuse and emotional containment. 30/08/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a good experience at this home and make significant progress. The staff provide a nurturing and caring atmosphere in which children feel safe and comfortable. Children quickly develop warm and trusting relationships with the staff. This gives the Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 4 children a strong sense of safety and stability. The staff know the children well. They understand the impact that previous life experiences have had on children. The staff identify patterns of behaviours and respond sensitively and consistently as a team. They know which situations may trigger children’s difficult feelings and are able to develop and amend strategies to minimise incidents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is seen as a priority. The registered manager continues to challenge education professionals to seek more appropriate education placements as the children develop and to receive up-to-date paperwork. The staff team members are committed to working closely with educational establishments to ensure that children have a positive experience. High levels of support are given so that children can successfully engage in education, especially to those children who have been out of education for a significant period. The staff take children to visit places of interest with an educational aspect, for example a sea life centre and museums.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work closely with a range of external professionals to ensure that the children make good progress in their health and social development. The children physically thrive because of a healthy and balanced diet, improved hygiene skills and daily exercise. Specific health needs, such as self-harming, are managed well, with a multi- professional team of specialists working together to ensure consistency of care and response. Risk assessments, safety plans and behaviour management protocols provide the staff with clear, safe and consistent direction in managing any self-harm incidents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Medication administration is safe and well managed. A clear protocol for staff in managing medication errors is readily available in the home and is sufficiently detailed in the home’s medication policy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are treated equally and fairly. Any form of discrimination is not accepted and is robustly addressed. Work is undertaken to educate the staff and children regarding cultural competence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive regular time with a key worker where they can discuss individual targets and worries. For example, targets relating to improving hygiene tasks and social skills around mealtimes have proven very successful. However, not all these sessions are written up as quickly as they should be.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff provide very good support to the children, which helps them to feel safe and to be safe. As a result, the children can express themselves freely knowing that the adults caring for them are trusted and are able to respond appropriately. The training that the staff receive covers topics such as sexual exploitation, drug misuse, radicalisation and the risks associated with going missing. A range of external professionals provide specialist interventions that inform staff practice. This enables the staff to provide consistency of care and to understand the children’s behaviours. Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 5 Safeguarding matters, including managing allegations, are managed well with the correct referrals made when needed. Records are well maintained. However, the use of chronologies is not consistent, and they cannot be used as a tool for monitoring the home’s safeguarding practices and procedures.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The trusting relationships that staff build with the children are a protective factor. Children have the confidence to discuss sensitive issues with staff, such as previous life experiences. They are given caring, nurturing advice and guidance in response. Children have significantly reduced the severity and frequency of unsafe behaviours, specifically self-harm, since moving to the home. Currently, no children are going missing from the home. There are clear protocols and risk management strategies for staff to follow should this become an issue.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There has been an overall improvement in the assessment and management of risk. Children’s individual risk assessments reflect each child’s vulnerabilities and level of risk accurately. They contain enough detail about the relevant history and clear guidance on what should alert staff to the possibility of risk levels increasing.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff team members work well together to set expectations for the children to behave positively. Staff meetings reflect on incidents that have taken place, group dynamics and staff relationships with the children. The regularity of staff meetings has slightly decreased since the last inspection. However, the registered manager is working with senior managers to address this.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The premises are well maintained and provide a comfortable, nurturing environment. All health and safety checks are regularly completed to make sure that the house is a safe environment for the children and the staff team. Recruitment practice is robust.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and skilled to lead a team of staff and to manage the home well. She knows her strengths and the areas for her development. She receives support from senior leaders, who also have good levels of experience, in developing her skills. She provides good support to the staff team and knows the children well. The staff speak positively about her managerial style and support. The children also speak warmly about the registered manager. Since the last inspection, there have been changes to the staff team. The staff team is now settled and staff work very well together, showing commitment to the children and consistency in the delivery of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good progress has been made in relation to monitoring the quality of care being provided. The registered manager uses the organisation’s systems for ensuring that all aspects of the service are frequently monitored. A review of documents demonstrated that the registered manager monitors significant events and reflects on how the staff have managed incidents. However, a few records were not signed off by the registered manager in a timely manner. The registered manager continues to develop her Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 6 evaluation skills in relation to data output. The monitoring undertaken by the home’s independent visitor is particularly effective at identifying any shortfalls in the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective action has been taken to ensure that all staff now receive practice-based supervision within the timescale stated in the home’s statement of purpose. The quality of supervision is good and ensures that any weaknesses in staff performance are identified and addressed. Staff are provided with excellent support to develop their practice. Training is comprehensive, including mandatory courses and more specialist courses. The staff spoke about the need to receive further specialist training around child sexual abuse and the impact on emotional containment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the service as identified in her six-monthly review of the service. Areas that she has worked on, and continues to address, include staff training, regular team meetings, improved regularity of supervisions and continuing to work collaboratively with relevant external professionals. When needed, the registered manager will challenge professionals in the best interest of the children.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3a, Mill Green Business Estate, Mill Green Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1XQ

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Inspector

Liz Driver: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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